Follow Our Journey
Where will you be this summer?
Off The Grid Collection is going to be traveling this summer. First stop? Northern Michigan. Here is a list of all the things we absolutely can’t wait to do when we get there (and we can’t wait to add new discoveries to this soon!)
Village Cheese Shanty AKA The Cheese Shop – Can’t wait to eat their world famous pretzel bread sandwiches in historic fish town, Leland. Just order the pretzel bread, you can’t go wrong.
Traverse City Film Festival – At the end of July every year, Traverse City fills up with film-lovers, indie kids, artsy folk and all sorts of deep-thinkers to visit Michael Moore’s film festival. It is a great time to be around Traverse City if you love a great documentary film. They even have some great film classes which I am known to take.
The Omelette Shop – I love going here for their all-day breakfast. The sign of a great diner? They serve unlimited black coffee in those ultra thick retro mugs. Favorite.
Sleeping Bear Dunes – Out past Glen Arbor you will find a magical place. Miles of rolling sand dunes, bluffs, nature trails and breathtaking views- this is always a place we go to unwind and remember how small we are in the universe. It is unreal.
Becky Thatcher Designs – We love this designer. All of her creations are inspired by northern michigan nature- and you will absolutely love glancing around her amazing store in Glen Arbor and Traverse City. I’d recommend stopping in to see her amazing pieces, and she is such a lovely lady as well!
The Crib – The Crib is my favorite little boutique hidden in historic fish town, Leland. Quirky and unique items, it is filled to the brim and can keep you entertained for hours even though the entire shop is only the side of a big closet! Even your boyfriend will find it hysterical.
Glen lake – We will surely be heading up to Glen Lake this summer, where you find a gorgeous set of twin lakes that are much warmer than Lake Michigan. Glen Lake is a must visit this summer, considering there are still icebergs floating in Lake Michigan!
M22 – We love this concept. M22 is a store ind downtown TC, but it is also a way of life. Pop in their place on front street and you are sure to be inspired to hit the lake with your kit board, go for an awesome bike ride around the county or chat it up with some cool folks who run the place. You will meet cool people if you set foot inside.
North Bar – The Ultimate Beach. We’re traveled the world and seen amazing sea life, crystal clear waters and even sharks and tutles swimming below us. But when we want an amazing pristine beach, to barbecue, relax and gather with friends- this is our go to place. No need to worry about sharks when you swim across the little lake leading up to lake Michigan. It is simple the best hidden beach around.
Arts Tavern – Glen Arbor may be small, but they have an awesome dive bar. Stop by for a great microbrew, and you’ll be refreshed for the rest of your afternoon at the beach!
Wilson’s Antiques – Now we are big antique and vintage hunters. We love anything with an old soul. There are many many many places to hunt for antiques around TC but we love Wilson’s for its vast array of booths- 4 floors of SOLID VINTAGE GOODNESS. Its a fun place to spend an afternoon!
Grand Traverse Commons Farmer’s Market – This beautiful restoration of the old State Hospital is a lovely place to stroll. Filled with awesome little boutiques and a great “mercato” and “piazza”, you will almost think you were in Italy. We love their farmer’s market on the weekends- never seen so many beautiful veggies by great local farmers!
We have so many more, but these will definitely be our first stops in Northern Michigan!
*Photo Credit Irie Vibrations
May 13, 201400
Where is home?
“Movement is a fantastic privilege… but movement, ultimately, only has a meaning if you have a home to go back to. And home, in the end, of course is not just the place where you sleep, its the place where you stand”. Pico Iyer
April 11, 2014
Your skin + Airplane air – UHHG!
We love Vasseur Beauty! Brittany not only has the the scientific ins and outs of skincare products- but she produces them too! Take a look at VasseurBeauty’s youtube video on AIRPLANE BEAUTY- we know we are going to follow these tips. Trust us, you’ll learn something new from watching this video! Subscribe to her youtube channel for more beauty tips.
This will suit your skincare needs, but what about those clothes in your suitcase? You definitely need an amazing scarf to wrap up in on your travels. Pre-order our men’s and women’s handloom beautiful scarves (comes with hidden pockes perfect for traveling!) on our INDIEGOGO today! Along with many other great travel essentials:)
April 10, 2014
Free travel checklist? YES PLEASE!
We’ve been following “Travel Fashion Girl” for a while now, and her tips rock! From travel essentials to packing tips, this gal does it all. Stop by her site, and if you sign up for her newsletter you’ll get your very own tree travel checklist and a bunch of other freebees! How can you say no?
April 9, 2014
Nomads start a clothing collection
Nomads start a clothing collection for the wanderlust
Who better to create clothes for wanderers and travelers than adventure-seekers themselves? Off The Grid Collection is a team of two world-traveling designers, who are creating a clothing collection for you to take on your next adventure. With the help of crowd funding, you just might be able to score some amazing travel clothing for your upcoming quest, before the rest of the world.
Off the Grid Collection was created by a team of two avid travelers and artists, Alex Zanin and Sara Baumann. Over the past six years they have been traveling the world, collecting stories, creating art and conducting research. Throughout their travels they discovered that they simply couldn’t find solutions to their wardrobe problems. Country after country they couldn’t find clothes that last, they weren’t the right materials for the given climate, they were difficult to wash and they were sick of spending so much money on “disposable clothing”. “How can we create sustainable, fashionable travel clothing?” is what they asked themselves. And so, as artists, they set out to create a solution. That is where Off The Grid Collection was born, out of a need to bring more amazing travel clothes to the adventurous souls that roam this earth.
Off The Grid Collection is launching an Indiegogo campaign to raise the funds to create their first full collection. In exchange, they are offering you the opportunity to pre-order pieces from their 2015 collection, including limited edition items. You can choose from any of the pieces that will be released in their 2015 collection and they will make them specifically for you and deliver them to your doorstep before these pieces hit stores. We’re talking scarves, travel bags, t-shirts, travel pants, ponchos and more.
This is not just any clothing collection, however. The team of designers has really gone the extra mile into making this collection an “experience” and a community. They pride themselves on creating a sense of openness, cultural exchange, and encourage the sharing of ideas across borders. Each piece in their collection tells a story from travelers around the world. When you receive your new linen harem pants in the mail, you will not only be receiving a handcrafted product, but you will get a story that you can “wear” and continue to tell on your own travels.
This project looks like it will be an interesting one to follow in the years to come as well. We say this because each collection that they create is going to be inspired by a different culture and country around the world. This year? Sri Lanka- we’re talking handloom fabrics that are created with no electricity used in the process, raw gems found in Sri Lanka, leather substitutes (yes vegetarians and vegan folks can be ecstatic about this one), and waterproof fabrics that will prove essential on travels. We can’t wait to see what they come up with next; we hear that 2016 will be inspired by Mongolia. However, the team decided that they will let their fans decide where the next collection should draw inspiration from.
Their campaign went live on April 6, and they have less than 30 days to raise their funds to start their collection. Which means, you have less than 30 days to get your orders in. Want to know another great part about this campaign? You can start your pre-holiday shopping; your orders will be delivered at the end of November 2014, just in time for putting it under the tree for your special travel enthusiast.
So head over to their campaign page to learn more about the creative project that will leave you wanting to pack your bags and go off the grid.
Indiegogo Campaign: http://igg.me/at/offthegridcollection/x/6892874
WEB: http://www.theoffthegridcollection.com
Instagram: http://instagram.com/offthegridcollection
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/offthegridcollection
Twitter: https://twitter.com/offthegridcol
April 9, 2014
15 things you should give up to be happy
We’re listening to 15 Things You Should Give Up to Be Happy on #Omvana –
Beware. It will revitalize. https://itunes.apple.com/app/id595585396
April 7, 2014- March 24, 2014
facial cleanser for frequent travelers?
I get asked about beauty products ALL THE TIME- what is your favorite cleanser? what cleanser is best for dry skin? does traveling completely destroy your skin? how do you deal with breakouts in ever changing climates, not to mention that dry airplane air.
The unfortunate answer is, one cleanser does not fit all. But on the bright side, I have tried a ton of cleansers, and get tell you where I am now! I have normal/dry skin. I gotta keep it moisturized at all costs! This cleanser suits my skin well with all the frequent traveling I do- plus I just love the packaging. Check it out!
March 20, 2014we have a website!
Hi fellow explorers! Today we officially launch our website, where you can find fun behind the scenes videos from our first photoshoot, and pick up your very own “Go off the grid” tee. Come on over! www.theoffthegridcollecton.com
March 19, 2014watch this, and you will want to go places.
Maple syrup. Blue water. Pine trees. Great mountain views. Hikes. Relaxed locals. Rad street art. We just love Vancouver. This little piece always gives us the travel bug.
March 13, 2014my my my… gorgeous fabric!
Designing some amazing local Sri Lankan handloom fabric for our Off The Grid Collection 2015!
February 26, 2014- February 26, 2014
pins pins for everyone!
We are now on Pinterest! Follow us travel essentials, ideas for new adventures, travel fashion ideas and more!
February 26, 2014- February 26, 2014
yoga is better when you’re “off the grid”…
Practice yoga in our “Sheer Off the Grid T-shirt”! Follow us on instagram (offthegridcollection) for updates on our full collection coming in 2014!February 26, 2014look who we found wearing our tee…
Love seeing beautiful people wearing our new tee shirt around Traverse City!February 26, 2014we talk through photographs…
Off the Grid tells more stories.
Stay tuned for our first official photo shoot by amazing fashion photographer, Lindsey Mak! We can’t wait to take you on a visual adventure! Here is a peek at her work- enjoy! www.lindseymak.com
February 26, 2014we’re selling t-shirts in Traverse City!
Off the grid is for sale in Traverse City this week! Give us a shout if you are interested!sara@saralizabaumann.com
February 26, 2014our signature tee is finally here!
OUR BIG DAY!
Today we “officially” release to the world our GO OFF THE GRID collection signature tees. Hand-sourced by yours truly, we have been working on developing these tees over the last few months, and we couldn’t be happier to release them to you all before Christmas!
We personally sourced:
– The fabric (proud to say we saved this extra soft fabric from a landfill- trying to minimize our carbon footprint and use recycled fabric)
– The yarn and twill tape (we ventured through 3 ridiculously crowded markets in Colombo to find the exact color)
– The protosamples (we spent over 15 hours restitching patterns to get the fit right!)
– The embroidery (we came up with over 10 different designs before landing on the perfect one)
– The crafting (we spent countless hours, days, and weeks in the factory to make sure that the tee-shirt you get is just as we imagined)
So now onto what you really care about… WHERE can you get one?!
Please pop over to our online market by clicking here to see all the specs. Please shoot us a message at sara@saralizabaumann.com to order (let us know which tee, and which size – S, M, L). We take mastercard, visa, american express and discover.
If you would like to pick one up in person, we will be selling in Traverse City, Detroit, Chicago and Milwaukee between Dec 19-Jan 16. Please email us for further details on that: sara@saralizabaumann.com
We hope that you enjoy our first OFF THE GRID signature tee.
February 26, 2014good things take time. is it worth the wait?
We keep reciting this line again in again. We have to remind ourselves that the journey to creating a wonderful collection of clothing that tells a story and will be worn by people living out great stories, will not happen overnight.
But today, we made it over a huge hill! After rejecting 3 different proto- samples due to poor print quality, ill-fit, and terrible stitching- we finally feel like we have seen light at the end of the tunnel. We approved the artwork for our “field notes tee” and we will start production TOMORROW!
So here it comes, our first “semi-official” announcement:
Our “field notes tee” will be available for purchase at or around Dec 20! Stay tuned for more details including snapshots and order details.February 26, 2014
